by James Crepea, USA TODAY Sports

by James Crepea, USA TODAY Sports

AUBURN, Ala. - With his newly earned Wanamaker Trophy in hand Auburn grad Jason Dufner returned home to the Plains late Sunday night fresh from Oak Hill Country Club where he won the 95th PGA Championship, his first major title.

Dufner held the 27-pound silver cup before a small gathering of fans at the Auburn University Regional Airport shortly before midnight and recapped a day which will change his professional life forever.

"The neat thing about it is you dream about doing things like when you're a kid; win tours and trying to be out there and playing," Dufner said. "To actually accomplish your goals, that's the crazy thing. I've dreamt about holding this trophy for a long time. I never really thought I'd be able to do it but now I can. â?¦ I've been holding it a lot."

The Wanamaker eluded Dufner two years ago when he blew a five-shot lead with four holes to play and lost to eventual 2011 PGA Champion Keegan Bradley. This time, the 36-year-old Dufner out-dueled veteran Jim Furyk to finish 10-under for the tournament and took home the first major ever by an Auburn golfer.

"If I didn't go through those things I don't know if I'd have been here today," Dufner said. "Those things make you tougher and stronger, more determined to get to the top. I think that was key for me to be able to get this trophy today and the championship."

Former Auburn men's golf coach Mike Griffin sent Dufner, a former walk-on for the Tigers, words of encourage Saturday night as he prepared to begin Sunday's final round one-shot behind Furyk.

"Saturday night I wrote him a little note and said 'there are a lot of great players up there with you right now but I said there's not a better ball striker than you, nobody close,' and I meant it," Griffin said.

Griffin had seen what the 2011 experience did for his former player and diamond in the rough. Through the disappointment Dufner had gained confidence.

"He felt like that was the moment in his career where he became a believer that he belonged out there," Griffin said.

Now Dufner, who earlier this year sparked the wildly popular internet meme "Dufnering" after appearing emotionless with his hands tucked below his outstretched legs in a photo from a promotional event in Dallas, has him name on the same silver hardware as Bradley, who was among the first to congratulate his friend on Sunday afternoon, Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson and Jack Nicklaus.

"Starting to kind of get it sinking in; my name's on this trophy with a lot of unbelievable players and nobody can ever take that away from me," Dufner said.

Not too bad for a guy who nearly missed his change to participate in Auburn's open qualifier in order to make the team in college. Griffin admitted he had no idea who Dufner was when he first met him and paid no attention to a letter Dufner had sent to him before making the team until sometime later.

Dufner's near-miss at an SEC golf career was one of the many tales a proud former coach shared late Sunday.

"I mean really it was 11th hour, actually it was about 11:55. He was in danger of not having a chance to go out for the qualifier and if he doesn't do that where is he?" Griffin said. "Because he's already enrolled in classes, if he were to leave school to go somewhere else he'd have to sit out some time if he'd gone to a D-I school.

"He brightened my life by coming here. He's done a whole lot more for me than I ever did for him and he's certainly done a lot for Auburn University. He's put Auburn on the map. Here's a guy who could live anywhere in the country, anywhere, and he chooses to live in Auburn. That couldn't be a higher compliment to a place that he genuinely loves."

A small collection of fans took to Toomer's Corner to celebrate Dufner's victory and rolled the newly installed wire system at the intersection for the first time since the iconic oak trees were removed on April 23.

Dufner and his wife Amanda also brought back a collection of acorns they gathered from the Oak Hill grounds and hope to grow new trees next year with a possible long-term goal of having them end up at the famous Northeast corner to the Auburn campus.

"That would be nice if they're up to it. It's an idea," he said. "We got some time before we can plant something in that area but I think that would be pretty cool, but probably pretty selfish on my part too, but maybe it will be an option."

Griffin feels Dufner is capable of "anything" on the golf course going forward. The humble and low-key Dufner had more immediate plans to think about late Sunday.

"I need to get some food. I don't know if that's really celebrating," he said. "We've been celebrating a little bit on the plane, just holding the trophy, looking at it. I'm sure there will be some drinks thrown back tonight."